Shurooq receives U.S.A. Regional Trade Center

The aim of the visit was to familiarise the USARTC with Shurooq's various ongoing and planned projects as well as the Authority's investment related activities.

Represented by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) CEO H.E Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, Shurooq COO, Director of Business Development at Shurooq, Elie Armaly, and Head of Investment Promotion at Shurooq, Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, Shurooq made use of the opportunity to discuss future collaboration between the Authority and the USARTC with regards to international road shows, jointly receiving and sending international delegations, as well the possibility of cooperatively organising a series of seminars. In addition, a brief introduction of Shurooq was given through a short presentation.

USARTC in turn gave an overview of their mission and activities in the region, which focuses on enabling business, trade, and cultural understanding between the USA and the UAE and the greater Middle Eastern region, through the facilitation of service, trade, manufacturing, and agricultural export opportunities for US Small and Medium size Enterprises (SME's) to the region, with the ultimate aim to create US jobs through US export.

Shurooq CEO Marwan Al Sarkal commented, "The volume of UAE/US trade in 2012 was 15.58 billion US dollars, ranking the States as the Emirates third most important trade partner. In addition, the UAE has been the Arab world's leading importer of U.S. goods and services for the past five years, importing over 15.88 billion in US dollars goods and services in 2011. For this reason we are looking forward to further strengthening the relationship between the US and the Emirates, specifically Sharjah. In line with our mandate we are constantly exploring ways through which to increase Sharjah and the UAE's investment footprint and USARTC various projects and activities afford a multitude of opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperations."

Shurooq was established in 2009 with the aim of achieving social, cultural, environmental and economic development on the basis of Sharjah's distinct Arab and Islamic identity, and to encourage investment by adopting the best international standards in providing quality services that help attract investors from the region and the world.

Shurooq's key mission is to provide facilities and incentives to help overcome obstacles facing investment activities in the emirate, evaluate tourism-related infrastructure projects, and lay down the necessary plans to complete such projects.